Denmark increases support to the Korean Peninsula

18.01.2018 06:59

The Danish government has decided to increase its contribution to the international efforts to promote peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.

A contribution of one million DKK to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will support the Agency’s monitoring of North Korea’s nuclear activities as well as the Agency’s readiness to send inspectors to North Korea if and when a diplomatic agreement is reached.

Furthermore, Denmark will deploy additional staff to the American-led United Nations Command (UNC) on the Korean Peninsula. The command was established during the Korean War and has since been promoting stability and security on the Korean Peninsula.

The Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Anders Samuelsen, states:

“North Korea’s behavior is deeply concerning. The actions of the regime threaten security both regionally and globally and violate a number of resolutions from the UN Security Council. This cannot be tolerated by the international community.”

“Denmark has supported the UN efforts to stabilize the Korean Peninsula since the outbreak of the Korean War. Now, we increase our support both with an additional staff contribution to the UN-command in the region and with extra funds for the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog (IAEA), which is responsible for the monitoring of North Korea’s nuclear program. With these new contributions, we are sending a strong signal that Denmark fully supports the international efforts to foster peace and security on the Korean peninsula.”

The Danish Minister for Defence, Claus Hjort Frederiksen, continues:

“With the increase in our military contribution to United Nations Command, Denmark is sending an important message that we will safeguard security on the Korean Peninsula, and I am happy that we also in this region are able to contribute with qualified Danish staff. I am also pleased that the Danish defence regularly participates in military exercises in South Korea, which not only emphasizes our solidarity, it also provides valuable knowledge to the Danish participants. Both contributions prove that the Danish Defence can provide meaningful contributions where needed.”

The additional Danish contributions was announced at the Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Vancouver 16 January 2018, where the situation in North Korea was discussed. The meeting was hosted by Canada and the United States of America with around 20 countries participating.